Show ContentsBovye History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Bovye is a name of ancient Anglo-Saxon origin and comes from the family once having lived in the region of Bouville, in Seine Maritime, which later changed to Bovilla, in 1212. 1

Early Origins of the Bovye family

The surname Bovye was first found in Devon, at North Bovey, a parish, in the union of Newton-Abbot, hundred of Teignbridge, Crockernwell. "The lords of this manor formerly exercised the power of inflicting punishment for capital crimes. " 2

Early History of the Bovye family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Bovye research. Another 105 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1451, 1466, 1523, 1622, 1669, 1679, 1684, 1691, 1696, 1709, 1726 and 1736 are included under the topic Early Bovye History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Bovye Spelling Variations

Sound was what guided spelling in the essentially pre-literate Middle Ages, so one person's name was often recorded under several variations during a single lifetime. Also, before the advent of the printing press and the first dictionaries, the English language was not standardized. Therefore, spelling variations were common, even among the names of the most literate people. Known variations of the Bovye family name include Bovey, Bovie, Bovy and others.

Early Notables of the Bovye family

Distinguished members of the family include James Boevey (1622-1696), an English merchant, lawyer and philosopher; and Sir Ralph Bovey (d. 1679), 1st Baronet Bovey, Sheriff of Warwickshire and Bedfordshire. Catharina Bovey or Boevey (1669-1726), was a "charitable lady, was born in London in 1669, her father being John Riches, a very wealthy merchant there. Catharina was a great beauty. In 'The New Atlantis' of 1736, where she is called Portia, she is described as 'one of those lofty, black, and lasting beauties that strike with...
Another 84 words (6 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Bovye Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Bovye family

For political, religious, and economic reasons, thousands of English families boarded ships for Ireland, Canada, the America colonies, and many of smaller tropical colonies in the hope of finding better lives abroad. Although the passage on the cramped, dank ships caused many to arrive in the New World diseased and starving, those families that survived the trip often went on to make valuable contributions to those new societies to which they arrived. Early immigrants bearing the Bovye surname or a spelling variation of the name include: The widow Bovey who settled in Barbados in 1680; Margaret Bovey settled in New England in 1679; Jerome Bovie settled in New Netherlands in 1663 with his wife and five children.



  1. The Norman People and Their Existing Descendants in the British Dominions and the United States Of America. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing, 1975. Print. (ISBN 0-8063-0636-X)
  2. Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.


Houseofnames.com on Facebook